Boleng (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], May 24 (ANI): In a significant development, the villagers of Pangkang (Kumku) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Arunachal Pradesh government to begin the Preliminary Feasibility Report (PFR) for Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) at Boleng in Siang district.

On Friday, the Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Panchayati Raj, State Transport, and Cooperation, Ojing Tasing; Joint Secretary for Hydropower, Hage Lailang; Chief Engineer for Hydropower, Atek Miyu; and BJP Arunachal Pradesh General Secretary and Special Emissary of the Government, Nalong Mize, witnessed a significant accord. Representing the community's consent and enthusiasm, Pangkang (Kumku) leaders Taba Tamut and Bakin Tali stood on behalf of the majority of local residents.

Siang Deputy Commissioner P N Thungon, representing the state government, signed the MoU with Taba Tamut and Bakin Tali.

The proposed SUMP promises transformative benefits for the local community in addition to strategic defense and environmental resilience.

According to the MoU, a development package of Rs 5 crore over three years will be rolled out, overseen by a newly constituted Village Development Committee (VDC).

This Committee, composed of likely project-affected families, will spearhead village infrastructure improvements, health services, and livelihood programs, ensuring the fruits of the special development initiatives are rooted in the community and leading to equitable growth.

The MoU also guarantees future consultations with local stakeholders as the project progresses, reaffirming the government's commitment to inclusive planning and development, keeping in view local priorities.

As envisaged by the government, the SUMP is not just another hydroelectric project. Besides providing economic empowerment to the local community and being a significant source of clean and sustainable energy, it will be designed as a strategic counterbalance to China's rapid construction of multiple hydropower dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo (upstream section of the Siang River in Tibet).

As India's northern neighbour accelerates its water infrastructure ambitions, the SUMP is envisioned as a timely and critical initiative to mitigate potential downstream risks from sudden upstream discharges and ensure year-round river flow vital for agriculture, drinking water, and ecological balance in Northeast India.

'The villagers of Pangkang (Kumku) have shown incredible wisdom and maturity by deciding to cooperate with the government in the conduct of PRF for SUMP,' Deputy Commissioner Thungon said.

'This is not only about power or water. It is about harnessing the potential of River Siang for collective prosperity of the local area, state and the nation,' he added. (ANI)